Structurally supported tire

ABSTRACT

A structurally supported tire includes a ground contacting annular tread portion, an annular hoop structure for supporting a load on the tire, a means for attachment to a vehicle rim, and a ply structure secured to a first axial limit and extending radially outward and between the hoop structure and the tread portion and further extending radially inward from between the hoop structure and tread portion to a second axial limit. The ply structure is secured to both the first axial limit and the second axial limit. The tread portion is secured to a radially outer surface of the ply structure. The hoop structure is secured to a radially inner surface of the ply structure.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to vehicle tires and wheels, andmore particularly, to non-pneumatic tire/wheel assemblies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The pneumatic tire has been the solution of choice for vehicularmobility for over a century. Modern belted, radial carcass, pneumatictires are remarkable products that provide an effective means forsupporting applied loads while allowing reasonable vertical and lateralcompliance. The pneumatic tire obtains its mechanical attributes largelydue to the action of internal air pressure in the tire cavity. Reactionto the inflation pressure corrects rigidities to the belt and carcasscomponents. Inflation pressure is then one of the most important designparameters for a pneumatic tire.

Good pressure maintenance is required to obtain the best performancefrom a pneumatic tire. Inflation pressure below that specified canresult in a loss of fuel economy. Of primary importance is that aconventional pneumatic tire is capable of very limited use after acomplete loss of inflation pressure. Many tire constructions have beenproposed for continued mobility of a vehicle after a complete loss ofair pressure from the tire. Commercially available runflat tiresolutions are pneumatic tires having added sidewall reinforcements orfillers to permit the sidewalls to act in compression as load supportingmembers during deflated operation. This added reinforcement oftenresults in the disadvantages of higher tire mass and reduced ridingcomfort. Other attempts to provide runflat capability utilizeessentially annular reinforcing bands in the tire crown portion. Inthese solutions, the rigidity of the tread portion results partly fromthe inherent properties of the annular reinforcing band and partly fromthe reaction to inflation pressure. Still other solutions rely onsecondary internal support structures attached to the wheel. Thesesupports add mass to the mounted assembly and either increase mountingdifficulty or may require the use of multiple piece rims. All of theseapproaches are hybrids of an otherwise pneumatic tire structure andsuffer from design compromises that are optimal for neither the inflatednor deflated states. In addition, these runflat solutions require theuse of some means to monitor tire inflation pressure and to inform thevehicle operator if the inflation pressure is outside the recommendedlimits.

A tire designed to operate without inflation pressure may eliminate manyof the problems and compromises associated with a pneumatic tire.Neither pressure maintenance nor pressure monitoring is required.Structurally supported tires such as solid tires or other elastomericstructures to date have not provided the levels of performance requiredfrom a conventional pneumatic tire. A structurally supported tiresolution that delivers pneumatic tire-like performance would be adesirous improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A structurally supported tire in accordance with the present inventionincludes a ground contacting annular tread portion, an annular hoopstructure for supporting a load on the tire, a means for attachment to avehicle rim, and a ply structure secured to a first axial limit andextending radially outward and between the hoop structure and the treadportion and further extending radially inward from between the hoopstructure and tread portion to a second axial limit. The ply structureis secured to both the first axial limit and the second axial limit. Thetread portion is secured to a radially outer surface of the plystructure. The hoop structure is secured to a radially inner surface ofthe ply structure.

According to another aspect of the tire, inner radii of the plystructure are attached to the vehicle rim through two mechanical clampseach capturing a part of the ply structure.

According to still another aspect of the tire, inner radii of the plystructure are attached to the vehicle rim through mechanical clamps anda clamping force is strengthened by adding rings around which the plystructure is folded.

According to yet another aspect of the tire, an axial distance betweenthe first axial limit and the second axial limit is decreased by anadjustment mechanism so that the axial distance is less than an axialwidth of the tread portion.

According to still another aspect of the tire, the hoop structure isconstructed of multiple layers allowing shear strain between themultiple layers.

According to yet another aspect of the tire, the hoop structurecomprises a first layer of reinforcing cords extending at an angle ofbetween −5° to +5° relative to the circumferential direction of thetire.

According to still another aspect of the tire, the hoop structurecomprises a second layer of reinforcing steel cords extending at anangle of between −5° to +5° relative to the circumferential direction ofthe tire.

According to yet another aspect of the tire, the hoop structurecomprises a third layer of elastic construction for absorbing shearstrain between the first layer and the second layer.

According to still another aspect of the tire, the third layer consistsof a homogenous polymer material.

A structurally supported tire and rim assembly in accordance with thepresent invention includes a ground contacting annular tread portion, anannular hoop structure for supporting a load on a tire, a means forattachment to a vehicle rim, and a ply structure secured to a firstaxial limit of the vehicle rim and extending radially outward toadjacent the hoop structure and further extending radially inward fromadjacent the hoop structure to a second axial limit of the vehicle rim,the ply structure being secured to both the first axial limit of thevehicle rim and the second axial limit of the vehicle rim, the treadportion being secured proximate the hoop structure.

According to another aspect of the assembly, the ply structure includesa plurality of strips of material extending between the vehicle rim anda position adjacent the hoop structure.

According to still another aspect of the assembly, the ply structureconsists of one single strip of material extending repeatedly betweenthe vehicle rim and positions adjacent the hoop structure.

According to yet another aspect of the assembly, the hoop structuredefines a shear band having a first layer, a second layer, and a thirdlayer. The first and second layers have reinforcing cords extending atan angle of between −5° to +5° relative to the circumferential directionof the tire.

According to still another aspect of the assembly, the third layer hasan elastic construction for absorbing shear strain between the firstlayer and the second layer.

Another structurally supported tire in accordance with the presentinvention includes a ground contacting annular tread portion, an annularhoop structure for supporting a load on a tire, a means for attachmentto a vehicle rim, a ply structure secured to a first axial limit andextending radially outward to adjacent the hoop structure and furtherextending radially inward from adjacent the hoop structure to a secondaxial limit, the ply structure being secured to both the first axiallimit and the second axial limit, and an adjustment mechanism forvarying an axial distance between the first axial limit and the secondaxial limit, the tread portion being secured proximate the hoopstructure.

According to another aspect of the other tire, the adjustment mechanismincludes a threaded bolt and at least two nuts threadedly engaging thethreaded bolt.

A method in accordance with the present invention non-pneumaticallysupports a load. The method includes the steps of: securing a single plystructure to a vehicle rim; clamping the single ply structure to thevehicle rim; extending the single ply structure from the vehicle rim toa radially outer surface of a hoop structure; further extending thesingle ply structure from the radially outer surface of the hoopstructure to the vehicle rim; securing the single ply structure to thevehicle rim; and supporting the load by a compressive hoop strength ofthe hoop structure and a tensile strength of part of the ply structure.

According to another aspect of the method, a further step includesstretching the ply structure up over the hoop structure.

According to still another aspect of the method, a further step includesdecreasing an axial distance between a first part of the vehicle rim anda second part of the vehicle rim such that the axial distance is lessthan an axial width of the tread portion.

According to yet another aspect of the method, a further step includesattaching the ply structure to a radially outer surface of the hoopstructure.

According to still another aspect of the method, a further step includesattaching a tread portion to a radially outer surface of the plystructure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood through reference to thefollowing description and the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross section view of a tire/wheel assembly inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevation taken along line “2-2” in FIG. 1, with aone layer ply;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section view of another tire/wheel assemblyin accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic elevation taken along line “2-2” in FIG. 3, with atwo layer ply.

DEFINITIONS

The following terms are defined as follows for this description.

“Equatorial Plane” means a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotationof the tire passing through the centerline of the tire.

“Meridian Plane” means a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of thetire and extending radially outward from said axis.

“Bending Stiffness” of the shear band EI. The bending stiffness EI maybe determined from beam mechanics using a three point bending test. EImay represent a beam resting on two roller supports and subjected to aconcentrated load applied in the middle of the beam. The bendingstiffness EI may be determined from the following equation:EI=PL3/48*ΔX, where P is the load, L is the beam length, and ΔX is thedeflection.

“Extensional Stiffness” of the shear band EA. The extensional stiffnessEA may be is determined by applying a tensile force in thecircumferential direction of the shear band and measuring the change inlength.

“Hysteresis” means the dynamic loss tangent measured at 10 percentdynamic shear strain and at 25° C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Conventional structurally supported tires may support a load without thesupport of gas inflation pressure. Such a tire may have a groundcontacting tread portion, sidewall portions extending radially inwardfrom the tread portion and bead portions at the end of the sidewallportions. The bead portions may anchor the tire to a vehicle wheel. Thetread portion, sidewall portions, and bead portions may define a hollow,annular space. Alternately, the bead portion and the tread portion maybe connected in the radial direction by a conventional connecting web,which may consist of a number of different geometries. These geometriesmay include a plurality of radial spokes or a network of polygons, suchas hexagons.

One conventional structurally supported tire may have a connecting webor sidewall portion attached thereto. Such a connecting web or sidewallstructure does not extend radially beyond a radially inward side of thefirst membrane. This attachment may be achieved through an adhesivebond. Since the first and second membranes and the intermediate shearlayer of this tire together have significant hoop compression stiffness,the interface between the connecting web or sidewall portion and theradially inward side of the first membrane may be will necessarily beexposed to significant shear stresses that tend to degrade or damage theadhesive bond at the interface as the tire is rotated under load (e.g.,a large number of load cycles, etc.).

In accordance with the present invention, however, the connecting web orsidewall portion or ply structure may extend radially outward of thehoop structure. Alternatively, the connecting web or sidewall portion orply structure may extend radially between the first and second membrane,or between the second and third membrane, of the hoop structure. Such aconstruction may be secured together by a curing step, cohesion, and/orby adhesion. Due to the positioning of the connecting web or sidewallportion or ply structure radially within the hoop structure, theinterfaces of the layers may not advantageously eliminate and/or greatlymitigate damaging shear stresses incurred by the conventional tire.

The connecting web or sidewall portion or ply structure may bereinforced by essentially inextensible cords oriented at or near theradial direction. The force/elongation characteristics of the sidewallportions may be such that tensile forces produce minimal elongation ofthe connecting web or sidewall portion or ply structure, such as anincrease of tension in a string may produce minimal elongation of thestring. For example, the connecting web or sidewall portion or plystructure may a high stiffness in tension, but very low stiffness incompression.

The connecting web or sidewall portion or ply structure may beessentially inextensible in tension and essentially without resistanceto compression and/or buckling. Under this condition, an externallyapplied load may be supported substantially by vertical tensile forcesin the connecting web or sidewall portion or ply structure in the regionabove the axle without vertical tensile forces in the region below theaxle. Vertical stiffness may relate to the ability of the tire to resistvertical deflection when under load. A tire or assembly in accordancewith the present invention requires no pneumatic support, and thereforeno air pressure maintenance or performance loss due to sudden loss ofpressure.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2, a structurally supported tire 10 in accordancewith the present invention may include a ground contacting annular treadportion 20, a hoop structure 30 for supporting a load on the tire, and aply structure 60 secured to a first axial limit of an outer radius of arim 1 and extending radially outward and between the hoop structure andthe tread portion and further extending radially inward from between thehoop structure and tread portion to a second axial limit of the outerradius of the rim. The tread portion 20 may be secured to a radiallyouter surface 62 of the ply structure 60. The hoop structure 30 may besecured to a radially inner surface 64 of the ply structure 60. Theattachment of the ply structure 60 to the rim 1 may be accomplished in anumber of ways. For example, the vehicle rim 1 may have a first clamp 3and a second clamp 5. The first clamp 3 may squeeze and secure a firstpart 65 of the ply structure 60. The second clamp 5 may squeeze and asecond part 66 of the ply structure 60.

Alternatively, the first clamp 3 may squeeze and secure both the firstpart 65 of the ply structure 60 and a first ring (not shown) thuseliminating the necessity for a first ring to be inextensible (e.g.,like conventional bead structures). The second clamp 5 may squeeze andsecure both the second part 66 of the ply structure 60 and a second ring(not shown) thus eliminating the necessity for the second ring to beinextensible (e.g., like conventional bead structures). If used, thenon-load bearing first and second rings may therefore be an inexpensivematerial, such as a very inexpensive polymer 0-ring. Further, adhesivesand mechanical fasteners 4, 6 (e.g., bolts, etc.) may also be used tosqueeze/secure and/or supplement the attachment to the first and secondparts 65, 66 of the ply structure.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ply structure 60 may be defined by strips 70 ofmaterial extending from the first clamp 3 radially outward and aroundthe hoop structure 30 and to the second clamp 5. As described below, thestrips 70 may be a layered and reinforced ply material capable ofbearing a large tensile load and very little compressive load.

As shown in FIGS. 3-4, another structurally supported tire 110 inaccordance with the present invention may include a ground contactingannular tread portion 120, a hoop structure 130 for supporting a load onthe tire, and a ply structure 160 secured to one axial limit of an outerradius of the rim 1 and extending radially outward and between the hoopstructure and the tread portion and further extending radially inwardfrom between the hoop structure and tread portion to a second axiallimit of an outer radius of the rim. The tread portion 120 may besecured to a radially outer surface 162 of the ply structure 160. Thehoop structure 130 may be secured to a radially inner surface 164 of theply structure 160. The attachment of the ply structure 160 to the rim 1may be accomplished in a number of ways. For example, the vehicle rim 1may have a first clamp 103 and a second clamp 105. The first clamp 103may squeeze and secure a first part 165 of the ply structure 160. Thesecond clamp 105 may squeeze and a second part 166 of the ply structure160.

Alternatively, the first clamp 103 may squeeze and secure both the firstpart 165 of the ply structure 160 and a first ring (not shown) thuseliminating the necessity for a first ring to be inextensible (e.g.,like conventional bead structures). The second clamp 105 may squeeze andsecure both the second part 166 of the ply structure 160 and a secondring (not shown) thus eliminating the necessity for the second ring tobe inextensible (e.g., like conventional bead structures). If used, thefirst and second rings may therefore be an inexpensive material, such asa very inexpensive polymer O-ring. Further, adhesives and mechanicalfasteners 104, 106 (e.g., bolts, etc.) may also be used tosqueeze/secure and/or supplement the attachment to the first and secondparts 165, 166 of the ply structure 160.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ply structure 160 may be defined by strips 170of material. One example strip 170 may extend from a first end 172 ofthe strip 170 to the first clamp 103. The example strip 170 may then befolded back over itself and extended radially outward and around thehoop structure 130 and to the second clamp 105. The example strip 170may then be folded back over itself and extended radially outward beyondthe hoop structure 130 and to a second end 174 of the example strip 170.As shown in FIG. 3, a gap 176 may be defined by the ends 172, 174 of thestrip 170. Alternatively, the ply structure 160 may be constructed ofone single strip 170 of ply material leaving only a single gap 176between the ends 172, 174 for the entire ply structure 160. As describedbelow, the strips 70 may be a layered and reinforced ply materialcapable of bearing a large tensile load and very little compressiveload.

As described above, the tire 10 or 110 may include the hoop structure,or shear band 30 or 130 and the ply structure 60 or 160. The plystructure 60 or 160 may be built at a conventional bead diameter andthen stretched up over the shear band 30 or 130. The path of the plystructure 60 or 160 may extend radially inward from the radiallyoutermost portion of the shear band 30 or 130. This may allowreinforcing the ply cords to provide lateral strength to the shear band30 or 130 while also filling part of any gap between the radially outerportion of the ply structure 60 or 160 and a radially inner portion ofthe shear band. An angle θ may be varied to adjust tension in the plystructure 60 or 160 and also increase and/or tune lateral stiffness ofthe tire 10 or 110 overall. The angle θ may also be zero degrees or evennegative if desired (not shown). Thus, the angle θ provides an importanttuning parameter lacking in any conventional structurally supported,non-pneumatic, or pneumatic tires.

A method in accordance with the present invention may non-pneumaticallysupport a load. The method may include the steps of: securing a singleply structure 60, 160 to a vehicle rim 1; clamping the single plystructure to the vehicle rim; extending the single ply structure 60, 160a radially outer surface 62, 162 of a hoop structure 30, 130; furtherextending the single ply structure 60, 160 from the radially outersurface 62, 162 of the hoop structure 30, 130 to the vehicle rim 1;securing the single ply structure 60, 160 the vehicle rim 1; andsupporting a load by a compressive hoop strength of the hoop structure30, 130 and a tensile strength of part of the ply structure 60, 160.

The reinforced annular band or hoop structure 30, 130 may be disposedradially inward of the tread portion 20, 120. The annular band 30, 130may comprise an elastomeric shear layer, a first membrane havingreinforced layers adhered to the radially innermost extent of theelastomeric shear layer, and a second membrane having reinforced layersadhered to the radially outermost extent of the elastomeric shear layer.The tread portion 20, 120 may have no grooves or may have a plurality oflongitudinally oriented tread grooves forming essentially longitudinaltread ribs therebetween. Ribs may be further divided transversely orlongitudinally to form a tread pattern adapted to the usage requirementsof the particular vehicle application. Tread grooves may have any depthconsistent with the intended use of the tire.

The second membrane may be offset radially inward from the bottom of thetread groove a sufficient distance to protect the structure of thesecond membrane from cuts and small penetrations of the tread portion20, 120. The offset distance may be increased or decreased depending onthe intended use of the tire 10, 110. For example, a heavy truck tiremay use an offset distance of about 5 mm to 7 mm.

Each of the layers of the first and second membranes may compriseessentially inextensible reinforcing cords embedded in an elastomericcoating. For a tire constructed of elastomeric materials, membranes maybe adhered to the shear layer by the vulcanization of the elastomericmaterials. The membranes may be adhered to the shear layer by any othersuitable method of chemical or adhesive bonding or mechanical fixation.

The reinforcing cords of the first and second membranes may be suitabletire belt reinforcements, such as monofilaments or cords of steel,aramid, and/or other high modulus textiles. For example, the reinforcingcords may be steel cords of four wires of 0.28 mm diameter (4×0.28).Although the reinforcing cords may vary for each of the membranes, anysuitable material may be employed for the membranes which meets therequirements for the tensile stiffness, bending stiffness, andcompressive buckling resistance required by the annular band. Further,the membrane structures may be a homogeneous material, a fiberreinforced matrix, or a layer having discrete reinforcing elements(e.g., short fibers, nanotubes, etc.).

In the first membrane, the layers may have essentially parallel cordsoriented at an angle relative to the tire equatorial plane and the cordsof the respective adjacent layers may have an opposite orientation. Thatis, an angle +α in one layer and an angle −α in another adjacent layer.Similarly, for the second membrane, the layers may have essentiallyparallel cords oriented at angles +β and −β, respectively, to theequatorial plane. Angles α and β may be in the range of about −5° toabout +5°. Alternatively, the cords of adjacent layers in a membrane maynot be oriented at equal and opposite angles. For example, it may bedesirable for the cords of adjacent layers to be asymmetric relative tothe tire equatorial plane. The cords of each of the layers may beembedded in an elastomeric coating layer having a shear modulus of about20 MPa. The shear modulus of the coating layers may be greater than theshear modulus of the shear layer so that the deformation of the annularband is primarily by shear deformation within shear layer.

As the vertical deflection of the tire increases, the contact length, orfootprint, may increase such that the compressive stress in the secondmembrane exceeds its critical buckling stress and a longitudinalbuckling of the second membrane may occur. This buckling phenomenon maycause a longitudinally extending section of the footprint region to havereduced contact pressure. A more uniform ground contact pressurethroughout the length of the footprint may be obtained when buckling ofthe membrane is mitigated and/or avoided.

The hoop structure 30, 130 may be similar to the annular band describedabove, an annular, a homogenous hoop of metal, polymer, rubber,reinforced rubber, or fabric, and/or a multiple layer structure ofalternating steel cord plies or filament plies and rubber shear layersas long as the hoop structure can support the appropriate load by itscompressive hoop strength. Once the tire 10, 110 is fully constructed,the hoop structure 30, 130 may be secured to the radially inner surface64, 164 of the ply structure 60, 160 by the overall structure of thetire (e.g., friction, mechanical constraint, etc.) or by an adhesive.This is a departure from conventional pneumatic and non-pneumatic tires,where a hoop structure is exclusively connected to the radially outersurface of the connecting structure, be it plies, a combination ofpressurized air and plies, spokes, or other web geometries. A tire 10,110 in accordance with the present invention may result in the interfacebetween the hoop structure 30, 130 and the ply structure 60, 160 beingin compression 180 degrees from the footprint (e.g., top of the tire),where the tensile ply loads are the highest.

The material of the shear band 30, 130 may have a shear modulus in therange of 15 MPa to 80 MPa, or 40 MPa to 60 MPa. The shear modulus isdefined using a pure shear deformation test, recording the stress andstrain, and determining the slope of the resulting stress-strain curve.It may be desirable to maximize EI and minimize GA. An acceptable ratioof GA/EI for a conventional tire may be between 0.01 and 20.0. However,acceptable ratios of GA/EI for a shear band 30, 130 in accordance withthe present invention may be 0.02 to 100.0, or between 21.0 and 100.0,or between 1.0 and 50.0.

The tread portion 20, 120 may be secured to the radially outer surface62, 162 of the ply structure 60 by an adhesive. The hoop structure 30,130 may have a concave, or toroidal, shape producing a curved treadportion 20, 120 as is desirable. The hoop structure 30, 130 and plystructure 60, 160 may thereby define a cavity 68, 168 that may or maynot be open to the atmosphere and/or unpressurized. When the treadportion 20, 120 has been suitably worn down from use, the entire vehiclerim /tire assembly 1, 10, 110 may remain assembled while the remains ofthe tread portion are ground down and replaced by a new tread portion,similar to a conventional retreading process.

As described above, the vehicle rim 1, may have the ability to adjustthe axial distance between the clamps 3, 5, 103, 105. Such adjustmentmay vary the tension and angle of the ply structure 60, 160 between theclamps 3, 5, 103, 105 and the hoop structure 30, 130 thereby alteringfootprint characteristics of the tire 10, 110 during rotation underload.

As shown in FIGS. 1 & 3, the adjustment mechanism 201 for the axialdistance between the clamps 3, 5, 103, 105 may include a threaded bolt211 and four nuts 222 for varying the axial length between two parts235, 245 each associated with one of the parts 65, 66 or 165, 166 of theply structure 30, 130. The two parts 235, 245 may or may not be part ofthe vehicle rim 1.

Further, suitable alternate adjustment mechanisms may also be used.Another adjustment mechanism for the axial distance between the clamps3, 5, 103, 105 may include replacing the threaded bolt 211 with apiston/cylinder assembly operatively connected to the rotational axis ofthe tire 10, 110. The piston/cylinder assembly may have a length greaterthan any desired axial distance between the clamps 3, 5, 103, 105. Theends of the piston/cylinder assembly may each threadedly engage ringsfor controlling the axial distance between the clamps 3, 5, 103, 105.

Alternatively, one end of a piston/cylinder assembly may be rotationallyattached (e.g., welded, adhesive, bolted, etc.) to the vehicle rim 1near one of the clamps 3, 5, 103, 105 with the other end attached to thevehicle frame. Thus, with the opposite clamp 3, 5, 103, 105 axiallyfixed, the axial distance may be adjusted by engagement of thepiston/cylinder assembly.

Applicants understand that many other variations are apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art from a reading of the above specification.These variations and other variations are within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the following appended claims.

1. A structurally supported tire comprising a ground contacting annulartread portion; an annular hoop structure for supporting a load on thetire; a means for attachment to a vehicle rim; and a ply structuresecured to a first axial limit and extending radially outward andbetween the hoop structure and the tread portion and further extendingradially inward from between the hoop structure and tread portion to asecond axial limit, the ply structure being secured to both the firstaxial limit and the second axial limit, the tread portion being securedto a radially outer surface of the ply structure, the hoop structurebeing secured to a radially inner surface of the ply structure.
 2. Thestructurally supported tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein inner radiiof the ply structure are attached to the vehicle rim through twomechanical clamps each capturing a part of the ply structure.
 3. Thestructurally supported tire as set forth in claim 1 wherein inner radiiof the ply structure are attached to the vehicle rim through mechanicalclamps and a clamping force is strengthened by adding rings around whichthe ply structure is folded.
 4. The structurally supported tire as setforth in claim 1 wherein an axial distance between the first axial limitand the second axial limit is decreased by an adjustment mechanism sothat the axial distance is less than an axial width of the treadportion.
 5. The structurally supported tire as set forth in claim 1wherein the hoop structure is constructed of multiple layers allowingshear strain between the multiple layers.
 6. The structurally supportedtire as set forth in claim 1 wherein the hoop structure comprises afirst layer of reinforcing cords extending at an angle of between −5° to+5° relative to the circumferential direction of the tire.
 7. Thestructurally supported tire as set forth in claim 7 wherein the hoopstructure comprises a second layer of reinforcing steel cords extendingat an angle of between −5° to +5° relative to the circumferentialdirection of the tire.
 8. The structurally supported tire as set forthin claim 8 wherein the hoop structure comprises a third layer of elasticconstruction for absorbing shear strain between the first layer and thesecond layer.
 9. The structurally supported tire as set forth in claim 9wherein the third layer consists of a homogenous polymer material.
 10. Astructurally supported tire and rim assembly comprising a groundcontacting annular tread portion; an annular hoop structure forsupporting a load on a tire; a means for attachment to a vehicle rim;and a ply structure secured to a first axial limit of the vehicle rimand extending radially outward to adjacent the hoop structure andfurther extending radially inward from adjacent the hoop structure to asecond axial limit of the vehicle rim, the ply structure being securedto both the first axial limit of the vehicle rim and the second axiallimit of the vehicle rim, the tread portion being secured proximate thehoop structure.
 11. The assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein theply structure includes a plurality of strips of material extendingbetween the vehicle rim and adjacent the hoop structure.
 12. Theassembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the ply structure consists ofone single strip of material extending repeatedly between the vehiclerim and adjacent the hoop structure.
 13. The assembly as set forth inclaim 10 wherein the hoop structure defines a shear band comprising afirst layer, a second layer, and a third layer, the first and secondlayers comprising reinforcing cords extending at an angle of between −5°to +5° relative to the circumferential direction of the tire.
 14. Theassembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein the third layer has an elasticconstruction for absorbing shear strain between the first layer and thesecond layer.
 15. A structurally supported tire comprising a groundcontacting annular tread portion; an annular hoop structure forsupporting a load on a tire; a means for attachment to a vehicle rim; aply structure secured to a first axial limit and extending radiallyoutward to adjacent the hoop structure and further extending radiallyinward from adjacent the hoop structure to a second axial limit, the plystructure being secured to both the first axial limit and the secondaxial limit; and an adjustment mechanism for varying an axial distancebetween the first axial limit and the second axial limit, the treadportion being secured proximate the hoop structure.
 16. The structurallysupported tire as set forth in claim 15 wherein the adjustment mechanismincludes a threaded bolt and at least two nuts threadedly engaging thethreaded bolt.
 17. A method for non-pneumatically supporting a loadcomprising the steps of: securing a single ply structure to a vehiclerim; clamping the single ply structure to the vehicle rim; extending thesingle ply structure from the vehicle rim to a radially outer surface ofa hoop structure; further extending the single ply structure from theradially outer surface of the hoop structure to the vehicle rim;securing the single ply structure to the vehicle rim; and supporting theload by a compressive hoop strength of the hoop structure and a tensilestrength of part of the ply structure.
 18. The method as set forth inclaim 17 further including the step of stretching the ply structure upover the hoop structure.
 19. The method as set forth in claim 17 furtherincluding the step of decreasing an axial distance between a first partof the vehicle rim and a second part of the vehicle rim such that theaxial distance is less than an axial width of the tread portion.
 20. Themethod as set forth in claim 17 further including the step of attachingthe ply structure to a radially outer surface of the hoop structure. 21.The method as set forth in claim 17 further including the step ofattaching a tread portion to a radially outer surface of the plystructure.